The Travelings of a Winter Spirit
by lil'hawkeye3
Summary: The Guardians weren't the first extraordinary beings Jack had met. The world isn't as small as the song would lead you to believe.
1. Water and Ice

The Guardians weren't the first spirits Jack had encountered in his existence as a winter spirit. In fact, some of his them - who were now his friends - had been around for longer than the Guardians themselves.

(This excluded very ancient entities, like the Wind he danced with daily or the Ocean that waved to him as he flew above its waters. While he was fairly sure they could take a form if they so desired, he had not had such an meeting with them yet.)

For instance, during the first few months he spread winter around the world, he had accidently drifted too far south - which isn't to say he never went south of the equator, of course he did, they got winter down there too. But the Pacific islands weren't supposed to get a foot of snow during the middle of July (although Hawaii did get a good amount in the winter months).

His slip-up was bad enough for the people and environment that other spirits had been required to reverse its effects. He wasn't entirely sure they were spirits, though; the larger one adamantly called himself a demigod. (Jack was inclined to believe it after the small figure on the person's chest waved at him in greeting).

 _Maui, shape shifter, demigod of the Wind and Seas, Hero of All,_ he'd introduced himself as, proudly lifting his giant fishhook. It made Jack's wooden staff seem small in comparison. The intimidating factor didn't seem to be working full force though, because Maui was shivering in all the snow.

The other being was a lot friendlier to him from the start. "Don't worry about it, Jack! We all make mistakes." She leaned in conspiratorially and added in a loud whisper, "at least you didn't almost destroy the world."

Maui groaned and crossed his arms. "It was only one time, and I helped fix it too!"

Somewhere in the midst of hearing about their first adventure, he learned that this mischievous woman was Moana, _protector of Te Fiti, demigoddess of the Islands and Seas._ "The Ocean insisted that we share the title," she explained.

"Seven oceans for two of you seems alright," Jack agreed, drawing grins from both 'demigods.' Silently, he was planning his own title. It made them seem more… legendary. He supposed he was legendary in that area of the planet now anyways, or at least what he had caused was.

Even though the warm weather was slightly uncomfortable, Jack wished he could stay with the pair for a while. He didn't have any friends; his task meant he was constantly on the move and annoying other spirits with the cold he brought. Besides, the Moon hadn't granted him a partner either, and he was lonely. His tropical mishap was a blessing in disguise, if only for a short time.

Looking back on his first visit, he realized its effects lasted longer than expected. Decades later, he still carried around a sand dollar in his sweater pocket given to him by Maui and Moana.

(The same could be said for the other side of the equation, as when he did run into the demigods again, Jack found himself being scolded royally for not ever stopping by. A vexed demigoddess Moana was far scarier then Pitch ever was.)

* * *

 _This is an expansion into the Disney and Dreamworks universes, but didn't really fit into any one crossover section (and it is Jack-centric). This will be continued!_


	2. Fire and Ice

The second memorable encounter hadn't been with spirits, but with a dragon.

Jack was used to unusual things (after all, his existence wasn't exactly normal), but he certainly hadn't expected to come face-to-face with a fire breathing night fury.

Apparently, some animals _could_ sense his presence.

Coming that close to a flame had made him regret every decision that led him to that moment. This was all rendered moot a second later, when the creature bounded forward and licked him playfully.

"Down, boy!" Jack sputtered, wiping his face dry with his sleeve. The dragon sat obediently on its hind legs, tail thumping the ground. "Oh, you cannot be serious." It had his staff in its mouth.

The dragon smiled around the stick in response.

"No offense, bud," Jack said, cautiously stepping forward, "but I really don't feel like melting today." He inched forward another step. "And I kind of need my staff to do my job. So maybe don't snap it and don't fry me?"

The dragon tipped its head to the side, as if considering his words, before obliging. Jack smiled but kept his gaze locked with the dragon's as he bent down to pick up the staff. He was surprised when its black head edged closer and bumped his shoulder. Jack sighed. "You're alright, I suppose…"

"Toothless!" A voice called from across the clearing, causing both of them to turn in its direction. Jack was surprised to see an armored young man heading towards them; his lack of reaction to the scene confirmed that Jack still was invisible to humans.

"Time for you to go home, Toothless," he murmured, petting the dragon on the head one final time before nudging him towards his owner. To his surprise (and slight disgust), Toothless lunged forward and licked his face before bounding away.

"Come on, boy, don't slobber all over yourself," Jack could hear the man saying as he scratched behind the dragon's ears. The reminder that he was invisible to humans was painful, but he waited until Toothless and the man left the clearing before taking flight once more.


	3. Sand and Ice

In his primary years as a winter spirit, he managed to end up in several places where a snowy season never appeared. Sure, it did become colder in these areas, but that task didn't tend to require his presence. He merely asked the wind to carry his chilled breath and went of on his merry way (later on, he would learn this was not the entire story).

One such instance was when he found himself flying high over an expansive sandy environment. Washed in moonlight, the dunes had first appeared to be vast waves in a rolling ocean; a closer look as he swooped down towards the surface corrected his initial belief. He experimentally placed one foot lightly on the sand, and when the surrounding silence was the only response, he shifted his weight to stand fully upright.

The clear horizon drew his gaze. Unconsciously, Jack relaxed his arm, and his staff tapped the sand beneath them. He yelped in horrified surprise as the surface immediately around him turned into a sheet of ice.

 _"What are you doing to my desert?"_

Jack yelped again and spun in the direction of the vexed voice. "What the f-"

"Be polite." She ordered playfully (but he did as she said anyways and didn't swear.

"Sorry," he said, referencing both his slip up and the sheet of ice that he stood on top of. He instinctively recognized the stranger to be a very ancient spirit, especially in comparison to him. She was gorgeous: her black hair shone like obsidian against the light, silky materials that covered her from her neck to her wrists and ankles. Her eyes gleamed like the golden necklace and earrings that contrasted well with her tanned skin.

The woman narrowed her eyes in confusion as she stared at him. "You're a winter sprite."

"Spirit," he corrected. "The sprites are much smaller."

"It's been a while," she shrugged, causing her long, tied-back hair to sway side to side. "Well then, Mister Winter Spirit, what brings you this far south?"

Jack looked down at his feet in embarrassment. "I'm not very good at riding the wind yet."

The spirit laughed. "Clearly." She stepped forward slightly with a kind smile. "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it."

"Thanks, ma'am."

"You're quite young, aren't you?" She asked, surveying him more closely, her irises gleaming golden in the moonlight. Jack nodded in confirmation.

"Name's Jack Frost; I think I'm approaching my first decade."

The other spirit looked mildly surprised. " _As-salāmu ʿalayka,_ Jack Frost. I am the guardian of these desert lands and all who travel them."

He frowned in slight confusion. "No offense, but what should I call you? That whole 'guardian' thing is a mouthful."

Her soft laughter filled the still air. "It's been a while since anyone has used it, but you can call me Jasmine." Her smile hinted at a multitude of bittersweet memories that existed with the name. "It's the name I was given before all of this," she said, gesturing at herself although clearly referring to her spirit form.

"Oh," was all Jack could manage to say. The mention of her past life only brought up the anguish he felt at his lack of any memories before being the winter spirit.

"Is something wrong?"

"I can't remember anything before the Moon turned me into a spirit," Jack muttered sullenly. His grip tightened on his staff, causing the temperature to drop.

Jasmine hummed in understanding. "You would not have been chosen if you lacked greatness," she consoled, moving to place a hand reassuringly on his arm. "Live for the present with the knowledge you are worthy, and accept the past when it returns to you."

That advice kept him going during his more troubled times (and after the whole Pitch thing, he was rightfully scolded by the ancient spirit for forgetting it).


End file.
